Clothes hanger hook for automobiles



July 4, 1967 L. L. DIETSCH 3,329,385

CLOTHES HANGER HOOK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 22, 1965 INVENTOR. LEE L. DIETSCH United States Patent 3,329,385 CLOTHES HANGER HOOK FOR AUTOMOBILES Lee L. Dietsch, 705 Roclr Island Ave., Cherokee, Iowa 51012 Filed Nov. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 508,988 1 Claim. ((11.248-290) This invention relates to clothes hanger hooks and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a clothes hanger hook for automobiles of a type which is adapted to swing out of the way when not in use, the hook being characterized by its simplicity of construction and efficiency of operation.

A further object is to provide a hook as described which is adapted to maintain the hangers in spaced relation, even at times when an automobile is rounding a sharp corner.

A further object is to provide a hanger hook as described which is of a type having spring means for causing a hanger holder carrying portion to press against the upper side of the base portion for maintaining the hanger holding portion in a selected position, and in which the spring means is maintained between two portions of the body member for providing improved appearance.

A particular object is to provide a hanger hook having a hanger holder portion and a vertical shaft portion and an interconnected rod portion, all of which are formable of the same cylindrical stock for economy of construction, the base being provided with grooves of a size for receiving the interconnecting rod portion.

A still further object is to provide a clothes hanger hook having a vertical shaft portion so snugly received in the recess of the body portion that the friction involved tends to limit the rotation of the shaft portion about a vertical axis.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the hanger hook of this invention shown in a use position.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the hook of FIGURE 1, but showing in dotted lines a section of the extended hanger holder thereof in storage position.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing storage positions of the hook.

The clothes hanger hook of this invention is generally indicated at and is provided with a base 12, having a rearward side 14, disposed in a flat plane for engaging a fiat vertical wall surface of an automobile, to which latter the base 12 is suitably bolted by bolt means 16 extending through the base 12.

The base 12 has a notch 20 in its outer side for providing upper and lower projecting base portions 24 and 26, which project from the outer side 30 of the base. The projecting portions 24 and 26 have a common vertical recess 38 in each, the recess 38 opening from the upper side 44 of the portion 24 and extending through the portion 24 and into the portion 26. The recess 38 can also be called a passageway 38, because it extends completely through the lower projecting portion 26 of the base and out the bottom thereof, whereby a shaft 50 of cylindrical shape is disposed in the cylindrical recess or passageway 38 in a manner for rotation therein about a vertical axis.

The hanger holder hook has a hanger holder generally "ice indicated at 60 forming a part thereof. The hanger holder 60 is horizontally elongated and is provided with a plurality of valleys 64 spaced along its length and extending into its upper side for purposes of receiving therein clothes hangers which are thereby held in spaced relation with each other for protecting the clothes from compression.

The hanger holder 60 is connected to the shaft 50 by means of a rod portion or rod interconnecting portion 70 which extends horizontally. The rod interconnecting portion 70 and the shaft 50 form in a sense a means interconnecting the holder 60 and base 12.

A first groove 86 extends from the passageway 38 toward the inner side 89 of the upper projecting portion 24, the groove 86 being elongated and being of a size for snugly receiving the rod interconnecting portion 70 in order that the walls of the groove 86 limit horizontal swinging of the rod portion 70.

A second groove extends into the upper side of the portion 24 of the base and is elongated, extending from the passageway 38 toward and through the rearward side 1118 of the base portion 24, the second groove 100 extending at a right angle to the groove 86 and being of a size for receiving the rod portion 70 sufficiently to prevent its horizontal swinging.

It is a feature of the economy of the product that the hanger holding portion 60, the rod interconnecting portion 70 and the shaft 50 are all of the same circular cross sectional shape and size, whereby they can be formed integrally of the same piece of steel rod preferably.

The shaft 50 has a spring thereon which is in com- I pression against the underside of the portion 24 and has its lower end compressing against a retainer 136, which latter is fixed to the shaft 50 in a manner such that the spring 130 tends to urge the shaft 50 downward for retaining the rod portion 70 in a desired position by its engagement or pressing against the upper side of the portion 24.

As thus described it will be seen that the notch 20 will facilitate assembly by receiving the spring portion 130 and will cause the base portion 26 to be disposed on the lower side of the spring portion 130 for providing a more attractive product.

A brace welded to the lower end of the shaft 50 beneath the base 14, extends upwardly to a point at which it is welded to the underside of the hanger holder 60 for giving the product a rigidity of construction.

In operation it will be seen that if the spring 130 is used it will tend to retain the rod 70 and hanger holder 60 in a set position as described. If the spring 130 is not used, then the grooves 86 and 100 tend to hold the rod in position in assistance to gravity, the grooves also being useful when the spring is used.

The shaft 50 fits the recess or passageway 38 sufliciently tight as to provide friction enough that the friction alone can be depended on to substantially hold the rod 70 in a desired position, even when the spring 130 and the grooves 86 and 100 are not employed.

As thus described this invention is believed to fulfill the objectives above set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a clothes hanger hook for automobiles constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

A hanger hook having a base, means on said base for attaching it to a vertical wall, an elongated hanger holder horizontally extending from said base, means interconnecting adjacent ends of said hanger holder and said base and in which said means for attaching said hanger holder and said base comprises a vertically extending recess in said base entering in the top of said base, a shaft rotatably disposed in said recessfor rotation about a vertical axis, said base having a notch therein entering from one side thereof for facilitating assembly, said base having upper and lower portions disposed on opposite sides of said notch, said recess extending through said upper portion and into said lower portion, a compression spring disposed around said shaft and in said notch and having an upper end bearing against the upper portion of said base, a retainer fixed to said shaft and disposed between said spring and said lower portion of said base and engaging said spring whereby said spring and retainer tend to urge said shaft downwardly for causing said rod to press against the upper side of said base for retaining said hanger holder in a selected position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 354,903 12/1886 Hartings 248290 1,230,678 6/1917 Cowan 248289 1,279,702 9/ 1918 James 211-96 1,435,110 11/1922 Etford 21196 1,821,722 9/1931 Neal 2l1-96 X 2,259,663 10/1941 Rosenthal 211-96 2,409,152 10/ 1946 Rundell 248-289 2,684,226 7/1954 Sundell et a1 248294 JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner. 

